CLOUDHERD BLOG

Telling Your Brand Story

People don’t want to hear the hard sell. They just don’t. And with the amount of choice now available in the way we consume our media, they don’t have to tolerate it. Gone are the days of audiences sitting through ad-breaks screaming the latest bargains at them. Brands now have to find new ways to talk to them.

So, if audiences don’t want to be told “buy this”, what do they want?

They want to learn about the essence of a brand – where it came from, why it started and what the fundamental philosophies in its founding were. They want to feel connected, informed and that they are making a conscious decision to choose your product or service over another because they believe in it.

Your audience wants to hear great stories. They always will.

Content marketing is where it’s at and storytelling is the key. So, the question is how do we get the creative juices flowing and come up with a narrative that’s easily digestible, compelling and can be told in under 60 seconds?

Answer the following three questions and you’ll be on the right track –

1. What was/is the state of things?

This is where any story has to start – with setting the scene. This is where you paint the picture of your industry and the way it currently operates, or it did before you changed things up. Your product or service is going to fill a hole or fix a problem with the status quo, so we first need to outline what it is.

2. What conflict do you face?

All great stories involve overcoming adversity and yours should too. It can’t be all smooth sailing. Audiences value authenticity and will appreciate being told “this was damn hard!”. What problem did or does your brand face?

3. How do you resolve it?

This is your chance to make your brand the hero. You’ve shown the state of things, explained the obstacles in your way and now you can show your audience how you’ve overcome them. This is where you tell your audience what makes you different – who you are and what you’re about. This is your chance to connect with them, offering something genuine and helpful that solves problems in a unique and superior way. This is where they make the choice to use your product or service.

As you can see, it’s a pretty classic narrative arc. This is nothing ground breaking – just simple, great storytelling. Keep it simple and honest, always being true to your brand’s philosophy and values, and you can’t go wrong!